Mini Mods - Email reminder for inactive users

Inactive reminder emails. This mod was designed to send out a reminder to inactive members to try and win them back.

***1.2.7 Update***
This update includes built in support for bouncing emails. The script will automatically detect the bounced mail, mark it as bounced so the user is not to be contacted again so as to avoid spam, and then move that user into a seperate usergroup. This plugin is still in it's testing stages, but I have addressed the bugs mentioned previously regarding the emailing side of things.

This is important so keep reading
To install this plugin and take advantage of the bounced email features you are going to need to follow these instructions very carefully. I can not gaurentee that they will work to the letter as this will be based on each persons individual hosting settings.

Step 1: Pre Install
Before you touch this product you need to do the following

• Create an "inactive" usergroup
• Set up a "bounce to" email address
  Pick an email address that you want to use as your bounced email address. Im using "bounce@icora.co.uk". feel free to use whatever you wish.
• Add a email message filter
  This is the hard part. You need to set up a filter that will 'pipe' an email sent to the above email address.
  I am using Cpanel 11 and this is how i have mine set up:
  Rules: 'To' 'Equals' 'bounce@icora.co.uk'
  Actions: 'Pipe to program' with the setting: |/usr/local/bin/php /home/icora/public_html/forum/bounce.php
  This will depend entirely on your settings and structure so you may have to do a little research. It would be very helfull if people who have to use diferent configurations would post them on here.
• Go into vBulletin options, and find the options for 'Emails'. there is a setting asking you if you want to use '-f'. set this to yes.
• While still inn the email options set the 'Bounce Email Address' to your above address.

Step 2: Install
Remove all previous trace of this modification, and upload all the files in the "upload" folder to your base directory of the server.
Go into your product management section and add a new product. upload the XML file with overwrite selected.
Refresh your admin CP to load the new menu items. Just under the "users" group you will find an "Inactive Reminders" group. open that up and click on settings.
Play with these settings and options to suit for the most part. when you come down to the bounce settings you MUST use the same email address as the one you created above.
Set to active and save.

I must re-iterate that this version has not been widely tested, but the simulations i have ran have worked. I look forward to your feedback!

Features:

• Select the period of time before a user is considered inactive.
• Select how many emails to send to each inactive user per inactivity period
• Choose weather inactivity is based on members "Last Post" or their "Last Visit"
• Specify how often followup emails are sent
• Specify alternative emails to send to reduce repetition
• Keep a log of all inactive users contacted

Planned Updates:

• More detail in reports
• ...such as
• Which useres returned
• Effectivness stats
• Email validity

**1.2.1 Update***
Added more detail to the reports section. You can now see the email address, and quickly indicate which emails were invalid. You can link directly to that user to edit as you wish.
I have fixed some errors which have been crashing people's database. Please post any problems if you can.

**1.2.3 Update***
Fixed several problems with escaping strings
Stopped database errors locking up site
***

**1.2.4 Update***
Added a "From Email" so you can specify your own email address to send the reminders from.
Fixed potential bug for people who do not use the mail queue.

Anyone having problems with sending emails out too fast, and multiple emails being sent need to consider changing their email settings in vbulletin options.
People with emails going out too fast - edit Number of Emails to Send Per Batch to a lower amount
People with multiple emails sending - edit Use Mailqueue System to "Yes, with locking"
***

**1.2.5 Update***
Added more stats in the reports page, also added a "Send test email" option so users can test the functionality of the mod
***

[cubenz]

Originally Posted by djbaxter

Nothing wrong with customizing a mod for your own use or even passing along information about how it was done to others.

However, as has been noted, it's not good form to publish the changes as a new add-on, except where attempts to contact the original author have failed for some reason, and that6 doesn't apply in this case.

As a courtesy, I would suggest you also pass the information along to Chris in case it might be helpful to him in developing future versions.

Hear what you say - I'll send to CB as well.

Quentin

[cubenz]

Here's an example of what is happening:

The email is coming out with no 'from', but the real 'from' is showing below the headers
Headers are included in message
HTML tags displayed.

Any clues appreciated!

-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: Tuesday, 4 September 2007 8:33 p.m.
To: <removed for privacy>
Subject: campfire! We miss you!

Content-type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1

To: campfire <removed>
From: PropertyTalk.com Reminder Service <removed>


<p>Hello, campfire!</p>

<p>We've noticed that you've not been active on PropertyTalk.com for quite
some time now,

and we miss you!</p>

<p>Could we not tempt you back? Here are a few of the things that have been
discussed on the forum recently....</p>

[snip]

[Delphiprogrammi]

hi,

To send that email you must send the content-type header.vBulletins vbmail(); functions uses plaintext by default(/includes/class_mail.php) so something like this

emailreminder.php find

PHP Code:

$message = stripslashes($message); 


add below

PHP Code:

$headers = NULL;
$headers  = 'MIME-Version: 1.0' . "\r\n";
$headers .= 'Content-type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1' . "\r\n";
$headers .= 'Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit' . "\r\n";
$headers .= 'To: $username <$toemail>' . "\r\n";
$headers .= 'From: ' . $vbulletin->options['bbtitle'] . ' Reminder Service <' . $vbulletin->options['webmasteremail'] . '>' . "\r\n";
$headers .= 'Reply-to:Webmaster <' . $vbulletin->options['webmasteremail'] . '>' . "\r\n";
$headers .='Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit' . "\r\n";
$headers .='X-Priority: 1' . "\r\n"; 


should do it


if it works feel free to use it if not don't yell at me

[cubenz]

Thanks

I'm using 1.0.9, which uses mail directly, not vb_mail.

I'll try the new headers, and see what happens.

Quentin

[bryanb]

I've been using this for a couple of months now, and it's been working great.

One problem - I have had a number of AOL spam complaints due to lazy AOL users who would report these mailings as spam instead of letting me know that they'd like to have their accounts deleted. I real PITA.

Is there any way to deselect AOL email addresses (or any email addresses for that matter) using wild cards? That would be great to add as a modification. In the meantime, I've had to shut this off.

[Codeman05]

Originally Posted by Greivog

Hello

When I install, I get the following when I run the script:

Inactive User Reminder Emails

db)) { exit; } error_reporting(E_ALL & ~E_NOTICE); if($vbulletin->options['reminder_active']){ $now = time(); $datetime = array(); $quantity = $vbulletin->options['quantity']; $datetime[lastpost] = $now - (60 * 60 * 24 * $vbulletin->options['inactivity']); $datetime[lastemail] = $now - (60 * 60 * 24 * $vbulletin->options['frequency']); $usergroups = explode(",",$vbulletin->options['usergroups']); if($vbulletin->options['reminder_posts']){ $result = $vbulletin->db->query_read("SELECT * FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user WHERE lastpost < '$datetime[lastpost]' AND emailDate < '$datetime[lastemail]' AND options & 16"); //print("SELECT * FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user WHERE lastpost < '$datetime[lastpost]' AND emailDate < '$datetime[lastemail]' AND options & 16
"); $vbulletin->db->query_write("UPDATE " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user SET emailDate = '$now' WHERE lastpost < '$datetime[lastpost]' AND emailDate < '$datetime[lastemail]' AND options & 16"); //print("UPDATE " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user SET emailDate = '$now' WHERE lastpost < '$datetime[lastpost]' AND emailDate < '$datetime[lastemail]' AND options & 16
"); } else { $result = $vbulletin->db->query_read("SELECT * FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user WHERE lastactivity < '$datetime[lastpost]' AND emailDate < '$datetime[lastemail]' AND options & 16"); //print("SELECT * FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user WHERE lastactivity < '$datetime[lastpost]' AND emailDate < '$datetime[lastemail]' AND options & 16
"); $vbulletin->db->query_write("UPDATE " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user SET emailDate = '$now' WHERE lastactivity < '$datetime[lastpost]' AND emailDate < '$datetime[lastemail]' AND options & 16"); //print("UPDATE " . TABLE_PREFIX . "user SET emailDate = '$now' WHERE lastactivity < '$datetime[lastpost]' AND emailDate < '$datetime[lastemail]' AND options & 16
"); } print("Found " . mysql_num_rows($result) . " Inactive Users.

"); while($row = $vbulletin->db->fetch_array($result)){ if(is_member_of($row, $usergroups)){ print("Sent To: $row[username]
"); $username = $row[username]; $toemail = $row[email]; $userid = $row[userid]; $bbtitle = $vbulletin->options['bbtitle']; $homeurl = $vbulletin->options['homeurl']; $forumurl = $vbulletin->options['bburl']; $hometitle = $vbulletin->options['hometitle']; eval('$message = "' . addslashes($vbulletin->options['message']) . '";'); $message = stripslashes($message); //$headers = "MIME-Version: 1.0" . "\r\nContent-type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" . "\r\n"; $uheaders .= "To: $username <$email>" . "\r\n"; $uheaders .= "From: " . $vbulletin->options['bbtitle'] . " Reminder Service <" . $vbulletin->options['webmasteremail'] . ">" . "\r\n"; eval('$subject = "' . addslashes($vbulletin->options['subject']) . '";'); $subject = stripslashes($subject); if($vbulletin->options['reminder_emailfooter']){ $message = $message . "Email Reminder System Provided By Mished.co.uk"; } /*if(@mail($email, $subject, $message, $headers)){ print("mailing $email (done)
"); } else { print("mailing $email (failed)
"); }*/ if(is_valid_email($toemail)){ $sentlist .= "$username "; vbmail($toemail, $subject, $message, $notsubscription = false, $from = $vbulletin->options['bbtitle'], $uheaders = '', $username = ''); } else { $failedlist .= "$username "; } } } if($sentlist == ""){ log_cron_action("No Emails to send", $nextitem); vbmail($vbulletin->options['webmasteremail'], "Inactive User Reminder Email Report", "This email shows that the product is installed and working as it should be.\n\n\nThere were no inactive users at this time.", $notsubscription = false, $from = $vbulletin->options['bbtitle'], $uheaders = "From: " . $vbulletin->options['bbtitle'] . " Reminder Service <" . $vbulletin->options['webmasteremail'] . ">" . "\r\n", $username = ''); } else { log_cron_action("Emails sent to:$sentlist. We tried to email the following users, but their email address was invalid:$failedlist", $nextitem); vbmail($vbulletin->options['webmasteremail'], "Inactive User Reminder Email Report", "This email shows that the product is installed and working as it should be.\n\n\nEmails sent to:" . $sentlist . ". We tried to email the following users, but their email address was invalid:" . $failedlist . "", $notsubscription = false, $from = $vbulletin->options['bbtitle'], $uheaders = "From: " . $vbulletin->options['bbtitle'] . " Reminder Service <" . $vbulletin->options['webmasteremail'] . ">" . "\r\n", $username = ''); } } else { print("Product is inactive at this time!"); } ?>
Done



The script dosnt sent out any emails if i run it myself or let it run itsself.

Any ideas?

I am having the same error, any thoughts??

[Delphiprogrammi]

phpmailer (http://phpmailer.sourceforge.net) will do just fine to

PHP Code:

require_once(DIR . '/includes/class.phpmailer.php');
    $mail = new PHPMailer();
    $mail->isSendMail(true);
    $mail->Priority = 1;
    $mail->isHTML(true);
    $mail->Encoding = "8bit";
    $mail->CharSet = "iso-8859-1";
    $mail->From = "";
    $mail->FromName = "nobody";
    $mail->AddReplyTo("","webmaster");
    $mail->AddAddress("$toemail","$username");
    $mail->Subject = "$subject";
    $mail->Body = "$message";
    $mail->AltBody = "";
    $mail->WordWrap = 0;
    if(!$mail->send());
    {
      echo "Mailer Error: " . $mail->ErrorInfo;
    } 


will send HTML email easy !

[dollster68]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for this nifty tool. Got it installed with the help of djbaxter (I'm a total novice that needed help with where to upload the .xml file).

Since there are a few versions being run of this mod I would like to suggest a FAQ on the front page. It took a long time to scroll through 50+ pages of this tread only to find that the answer to my question wasn't there. Also, the very first post stated that instructions were included, but I couldn't find any when I downloaded v. 1.09.

[bryanb]

Originally Posted by bryanb

...Is there any way to deselect AOL email addresses (or any email addresses for that matter) using wild cards? That would be great to add as a modification. In the meantime, I've had to shut this off.

Any ideas on how to do this? Thanks in advance!

[djbaxter]

Why did you need to "shut this off" because of AOL? I don't understand the problem. We all know that AOL filters email aggressively but so what?